Poppy’s mother Georgiana Dashwood had made a point to force her eldest daughter into memorizing those faces and names of the most eligible bachelors this upcoming season, as well as those of the ladies and other family that made up the menagerie around them. The Malfoys were somewhere near the top of that list and Poppy would think her mother might be proud of her having made an acquaintance with one of the daughters so soon. Miss Estelle, if Poppy was remembering correctly, seemed like a very honest young woman indeed. Just the type of person Poppy would have liked to befriend, and hopefully - if all things turned out decently - introduce to her beloved Atticus sooner rather than later. Smiling demurely at Ms. Malfoy’s assessment of her endeavors, Poppy couldn’t help but nod.“I’m sure he can appreciate how difficult it is to find a decent wife,” Poppy conceded, modestly. “He is marvelous: ever kind, affectionate, and proper as any well-bred gentleman ought to be. But I must admit, my interests are a touch jealous.” Here Poppy offered Ms. Malfoy a small smile. “I don’t doubt he will have success finding someone suitable enough himself, but I had rather hoped that his future wife - and my future relative - might be someone with the breeding, decorum and personality suited to advancing his interests and making him the happiest man possible.”
And it was true. From the outside, Atticus Foxwood was perfect in the eyes of the upperclass: he was a well-bred, wealthy, somewhat influential pureblood who had an impeccable bedside manner and no scandal in his family whatsoever. He could be a bit of a snob sometimes, Poppy supposed, but so could she. It wasn’t that terrible a vice, if it was the only one. From the inside however, Atticus was protective, affectionate, and impossibly sweet to those he adored. He was the type of man to go the extra mile, to risk it all, for a woman he loved. And that was why this search was so personal for Poppy. She didn’t want Atticus falling in love with the wrong sort that would lead him astray, nor did she want him to marry someone she herself detested. (That wasn’t to say Poppy didn’t trust his taste in woman, or society in general, because she did - but this was too large a gamble to leave up to him entirely.)
She was perhaps being a bit coy in not mentioning Atticus by name just yet, but Poppy was sure they would get around to it soon enough. Firstly she wanted to converse with Ms. Malfoy and determine a suitability between them. At least in as much as she could imagine from her perspective, though she did know Atticus better than frankly anyone else. (Save for Merlin, but that was neither here nor there.) As the waitstaff came over and settled about bringing them tea, Poppy nodded in Ms. Malfoy’s direction. “So tell me then, what qualities are you searching for in your future husband.”
© Fox